Watchdog says Miliband's dash to net zero is pushing up big winter bills for millions

ENERGY PRICE CAP TO RISE AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET

- BY STEPH SPYRO Deputy Political Editor

ED Miliband's rush to clean power is hiking bills for millions of people through the coldest months of the year, a regulator has warned.

Ofgem said yesterday the cap on energy prices will go up by 0.2% in January, equivalent to increasing the typical annual dual-fuel energy bill by £3 to £1,758.

Funding nuclear power projects and discounts to some households' winter bills were driving the price cap change, the regulator said.

Claire Coutinho MP, Shadow Energy Secretary, said: "Ed Miliband promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300.

"But more and more experts are sounding the alarm that his plans will lock us into paying higher bills for decades.

"Despite gas prices falling, independent experts, energy suppliers, and academics say it's the extra costs of Ed's net zero targets that are putting upward pressure on bills. This week we had a report that green levies on bills will soar by another £260 by 2030.

"We simply cannot afford this - cheap energy has to come first."